Grinding Gear Games has done it again. Path of Exile 2 patch 0.5.5 has arrived, and while the studio is modestly labeling it a “bonus season,” the Forbidden Rites update delivers an entire new league — the kind of content drop most developers would build a months-long marketing campaign around.
As PCGamesN points out, the New Zealand-based studio has once again proven it is simply the best in the business at bulky updates, packing a full league’s worth of content into what is technically just a stopgap between Path of Exile 2’s bigger early access milestones.
What Patch 0.5.5’s Forbidden Rites League Actually Is
The centerpiece of patch 0.5.5 is Forbidden Rites, a brand-new league for Path of Exile 2. For newcomers to the franchise, a fresh league in the Path of Exile tradition means a complete reset: a clean economy, a new ladder to climb, and new mechanics layered on top of the game’s already deep action RPG systems. Every player starts from zero, which makes the opening days of a league some of the most thrilling — and most chaotic — times to play.
In typical Grinding Gear Games fashion, the “bonus” label undersells what’s on offer. Expect the usual sweeping balance passes, polish, and rewards structure that GGG folds into every content release — the kind of wholesale changes other studios would reserve for numbered seasonal drops or even paid expansions.
A ‘Bonus Season’ That Embarrasses the Competition
More Content Than Most ARPGs’ Major Updates
The most striking thing about Forbidden Rites is the framing. In the current ARPG landscape, where competitors like Diablo 4 ship seasonal updates built around a handful of mechanics and a battle pass, Grinding Gear Games is casually handing players a full league as an extra. It is a flex, and one that highlights just how wide the gap has grown between GGG’s content cadence and the rest of the genre. What other studios call a major update, Path of Exile 2 calls a bonus.
Keeping Early Access Momentum Alive
There is strategy behind the generosity, too. Path of Exile 2 has been one of Steam‘s most-played games since its early access debut in December 2024, and sustaining that momentum through the long early access road to full release is critical. Bonus seasons like this one prevent content droughts, keep the ladder scene thriving, and reassure players that their time (and money, for those buying supporter packs) is being reinvested at a remarkable pace.
Why Now Is the Perfect Time to Jump In
If you have been waiting on the sidelines, a new league is the ideal entry point. With the economy wiped clean, veteran theorycrafters and first-timers are all scrambling through the same early-game scramble for gear and currency. Nobody has a head start, and the market hasn’t been cornered yet — meaning those first weeks are where clever players can make their fortune.
The fact that this fresh start comes bundled in a “bonus” update, rather than a marquee numbered patch, only sweetens the deal. It is essentially a free bonus league stacked on top of Path of Exile 2’s regular content roadmap.
Stock Up Before the Ladder Race Begins
Path of Exile 2 is free to play, but anyone serious about the long haul will want extra stash tabs, cosmetic upgrades, or Points to spend in-game. You can grab Steam gift cards and other digital game codes at TURGAME.com to top up your wallet quickly and securely, so you are ready to support the game — and look good doing it — the moment you set foot in Forbidden Rites.
Source: PCGamesN